Francisco Lopes Suasso

Francisco Lopes Suasso, second Baron d'Avernas le Gras was a banker and financier of the Dutch Republic. He was born in Amsterdam into Sephardic family of considerable influence and power. His father Antonio Lopes Suasso (1614 – 1685) was one of the richest and most famous Portuguese-Jewish merchants in the Amsterdam of his day.

After the death of his father in 1685 he inherited half of his father's considerable fortune, much of which was in the form of shares in the Dutch East India Company. Suasso successfully continued the business and was instrumental to William of Orange in 1688 in support of his invasion of England to claim the thrones of King James II. Suasso loaned him two million guilders and was able to make speedy arrangements for the transport of Swedish and Pomeranian troops provided in November 1688 by Charles XI of Sweden to assist William.

He was married twice. He first married Judith Francisco Teixeira in 1682, but she died in 1689. In 1694 he married secondly, at The Hague, Leonora da Costa (1669–1749), and with her had ten children. Both wives were from influential banking families. Suasso died at The Hague on 22 April 1710 and was buried in the Portuguese-Jewish cemetery called Ets Haim at Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. His son, Antonio Lopes Suasso the Younger, succeeded him at the helm of his business and as Baron d'Avernas le Gras.